2 Long Beach schools will close

LONG BEACH - The Long Beach Unified Board of Education on Tuesday unanimously approved the closures of Keller Elementary and Butler Middle schools as part of a reshuffling that will affect several schools and thousands of students next fall.

Keller, a 50-year-old East Long Beach school at 7020 E. Brittain St., has about 360 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, making it one of the smallest schools in the district. The Keller campus will temporarily accommodate students from Newcomb K-8 School while Newcomb is being rebuilt over the next three years using Measure K school bonds, which by law can only be used for school construction and renovation. Keller students will have the options of transferring next fall to nearby Burcham K-8, staying at the Keller campus with the Newcomb students, or choosing another school under the district's priority placement program.

Marjean Hughes, principal at Keller for nine years, said the small school has a special, familylike atmosphere, but the neighborhood has few young children because of an aging demographic. Hughes said the school celebrated a milestone this year when its Academic Performance Index jumped 23 points to 806, passing the statewide target of 800.

"We have a diverse population and we've been able to meet the needs of all the students and move kids forward," she said. "It's sad that we're closing, but at least our students have the option of staying together."

All 551 students at Butler will be moved to the new Nelson Middle School, which is nearing completion at 20th Street and Cherry Avenue in Signal Hill. Nelson, which is slated to accommodate 1,141 students, will also see several hundred new students from nearby schools including Robinson K-8 and Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and Hughes middle schools.

The students at Roosevelt Elementary, which has about 1,000 students, will be transferred to Butler next school year as an interim campus while Roosevelt is being rebuilt with Measure K funds.

School officials said Roosevelt, which opened in 1921, is an aging campus.

Butler, a diverse school at 1400 E. 20th St. where nearly all the students are classified as socioeconomically disadvantaged, also saw major gains in its API score this year. The school's API jumped a whopping 49 points for a new high of 700.

This school year the district shuttered two schools as part of a round of budget cuts. Buffum Elementary at 2350 Ximeno Ave. and Burroughs Elementary at 1260 E. 33rd St. in Signal Hill both held their closing ceremonies in June.